Why Are there Grain Elevators at the Entrance To the Harbour?
Ever since the First Welland Canal was completed to Port Colborne in 1833, Great Lakes ship owners have attempted to lower their overhead costs by constructing larger and larger vessels. When the grain growing areas of the Canadian prairies opened up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, new bulk carriers were launched to transport grain from Fort William and Port Author (present-day Thunder Bay) to ports in eastern Canada and the United States. Many of these ships were too large to pass through the Canal locks. Therefore Port Colborne developed into an important trans-shipment point for the loading and unloading of grain onto smaller canal boats or connecting railways. The Government Grain Terminal stands closest to Sugarloaf Harbour. It was constructed in 1908 to store wheat shipped from the Canadian prairies. In 1919, an explosion blew the top off the elevators, killing 10 workers, sinking a barge, and shattering windows throughout the community. The facility reopened in 19
